The rest of the country may be writing them off, but the Sharks are backing themselves to turn things around in the Vodacom Super 14.

In the latest issue of Sharks magazine, predictions are made for the Sharks’ first three matches of the season.

The magazine predicts the Sharks will start off with a comfortable 34-17 victory at home against the Chiefs, before beating the Cheetahs 26-17 in Durbs. They then predict the Sharks to beat the champion Crusaders 27-26 in Christchurch.

“The odds are stacked pretty heavily against the Sharks, but that might just be the biggest factor counting in the Sharks favour,” says the magazine. “They really have nothing to lose in Christchurch and if they could manage to win their first two outings at home and subsequently enter the Crusaders fortress in a confident yet positive frame of mind, who knows what could happen …”